Best thing I ever did, even over the knee replacements. Had a disturbance every 17 seconds the night o f my test. Changed my life!!! Doctor told me I would be dead within 10 years if I did not get one. That was 10 years ago.

I'm certain I'd be dead by now if I hadn't gotten one many, many years ago. It indeed sucks to get used to it but within a week or two you'll get used to it and feel like a new man in no time.

Sleep apnea is deadly killer. Some people don't understand how bad it hurts your organs and body when you deprive them of oxygen.

Can you explain the actual Test? Do you go to a hospital etc ?

It helps, ive used mine 6 months or more now, I'm still tired when I wake up, but it's easier to stay awake driving now, my son's friend was forty, didn't wake up easter morning 3 years ago

There are different ones but mine I went to the clinic, they stick monitors all over you and have you go to sleep. The monitors tell them lots of stuff including if you stop breathing or for how long or how often. Tells blood oxygen and a lot of other things too. I had trouble getting to sleep there but did eventually and only had to sleep an hour and a half to see the results.

The sleep study was done at the hospital in a special section. You just go in, there is a room with a bed just like a bed room. The technician come in a hooks you up with lots of wires and a mask. They leave you alone to sleep. The technician will monitor you until you wake up in the morning. You can get up and go the rest room if needed. Your readings will be sent to the Dr. to read. It is very simple.

I’m a CPAP user as well. Have any of you found a good travel machine and battery/solar panel system? I do enough tent camping in area with no utilities that I’d invest in a good travel setup. I’ve used my machine every night that I’m in a place with electricity since getting it 2 or 3 years ago. I hate to sleep without it.

I did mine at home, connected to someone a long ways away, 7-8 years ago I did the test at hospital, this time I got equipment to hook up for a night or two, then mail the things back

I use a small power converter and a 12V deep cycle battery when we go camping. Probably not practical if you're hiking off into the woods. I have the batteries for my boat anyway so the only real cost was the power converter and it was cheap, like under $20.

I did a home sleep study. You put a few monitors on your chest and maybe head, a band around you chest to measure chest rise and fall when breathing, and a nasal pad that checks for breaths. If it show minor obstructive sleep apnea, they may have you do a full sleep study at the hospital. Mine was severe enough that they took the results from the home sleep study.

If they determine you have OSA, they will discuss CPAP and depending on which one they want you to get, you may have to do an additional sleep study so they can titrate the airflow for you.

The home study showed that sometimes I was not breathing for upwards of 3 minutes. This has a huge impact on blood pressure and your ability to get good sleep which results in the amount of energy you have. My caffeine use has dropped significantly since then.

I have had one for almost 20 years. Love it, and cannot sleep without it.

They are a pain to pack up and take with you on a trip. A company named Second Wind sells reconditioned CPAPs for a fraction of the new cost. Get yourself a small travel backup to avoid the hassle. Medicare Ann d health insurance cover. The majority of your initial unit.

I have a battery model I use for overseas flights. My son has one also. He goes camping and takes both of our batteries. Ours are Transcend models. The newest ones are quieter. The battery will easily work two nights one a single charge.

Comes in handy at home if there is a power failure.

I have heard that everybody that takes the test/does the sleep study is automatically determined to "need" the CPAP machine. I am very skeptical about all of that, but can see where better breathing may help everyone and I may need one myself as I breath very shallowly even when awake, don't sleep well, wake up multiple times at night, tired during the day, etc.

Trying to sleep on my back with something strapped to my face seems like a miserable experience. I never ever sleep flat on my back (except when on drugs after surgeries on broken pieces and parts, two shoulder rotator cuff surgeries, prostate surgery, etc).

What exactly does the CPAP machine do? Does it force more air into your lungs when you inhale? Is it noisy? Do you have to clean it everyday?

Getting a CPAP was a game changer for me too. Like others have mentioned, I only was "asleep" for about 15 minutes the night of my study and I was woken by the tech and she started trying different masks on me. Took me quite a while to get used to the mask. Started with a full face mask and never did get it to seal properly, then went to a nasal pillow type and that works great for me. I also use the So Clean machine. Yeah, they aren't cheap, but I'm pretty lazy so its nice to drop my gear in the machine then everything is clean and ready to go at bed time.

My CPAP has given me my life back. It also has cured my acid reflex....no more Tums....and I don’t get up to pee at night,not even once.

My number was 95 with the sleep study ....that means I woke up 95 times in an hour.....not good

How long do they run on a battery charge?
I asked about portable charged battery ones, 1000$ she said

I have been using a CPAP for over 11 years now. It has really helped me and I sleep much better at night. I can actually remember dreaming since getting one. Before, I guess I was never reaching REM sleep.

It’s a life saver!! I feel so much better since I got one!

Of course most everyone who has a sleep study has Sleep Apnea, they know it before they give the test from your symptoms. They still have to do the test to see how bad it is and set your machine with the correct pressure for you.

Its a constant air pressure that keeps your airway open, not loud, and it rarely needs cleaned unless you have a humidifier feature with it. They say to clean it often but no one I know does. I'd reccomend trying to get used to one without a humidifier if you can.

Oh, and you do not have to sleep on your back at all.